Corporate Advocacy Program: The best way to manage and repair your business reputation. Hiding negative complaints is only a Band-Aid. Consumers want to see how businesses take care of business. All businesses will get complaints. How those businesses take care of those complaints is what separates good businesses from bad businesses.

On May 8, 2004, my wife and I visited Don McGill Toyota in Houston, Texas to shop for a van. We found a 2004 Sienna XLE we liked. After negotiation with the sale manager, we decided to buy it for a total drive out price of $29000.

We then met with Vada Cacamo, finance manager (I am not sure what her exact title is), and told her we would put $5000 down and finance $24000. She offered us some finance options:

1. For a loan of $24000 at an interest rate of 5.25% for 36 months, the monthly payment would be $740 (total payment is $26640)

2. She said they had a special. If we buy an Extended Service Warranty ($795) and a Lojack Recovery System ($1295), she can offer us an interest rate of 3.79% for 36 months. The loan would be $26174 ($24000 + $795 + $1295 + tax + fee), and the monthly payment would be $770 (total payment is $27732)

The difference in total payment between these two options was $1092, which seems like a good deal for two extra packages of value $2090.

I then calculated the payments myself using the standard loan method. For option 1, I figured out the monthly payment was $722 instead of $742 (her option was $30 higher per month and $1080 higher total). For option 2, her calculation was correct. I asked her why there was a difference between her calculation and mine. She could not explain but insisted her number was correct and refused to go over the calculation. She then started to talk about banks, interest rates, lojack system, and showed us some numbers. She was talking so fast, and we could not follow her (now, I think she was trying to confuse us and draw our attention). She also lost patience and said something to push us,

You can do your calculation at home
I am busy and I have to finish this
I have been doing this for years
Our numbers are accurate

Thinking she was a professional and they were good business people, we decided to buy the service warranty and lojack system. I then went over the contracts before asking my wife to sign (the car is under her name). Vada tried to rush us and make fun of us by saying things like,

Are you reading every word
This is just a standard contract
You don't need to worry about this
Come on, she (my wife) can do it by herself

After all, we drove the new car home that night.

The next few days, I went over my calculation for a loan of $24000 at 5.25% for 36 months, the payment was still $722 a month. I contacted Vada. She said the paperwork was sent out and she needed a few days to get it.

On May 14, 2004, my wife went to the dealership, and Vada referred her to Peter Vi, finance manager (I don't know his title). I was out of town, and I called his office while my wife was there. Peter told us that there was a problem in their computer system and caused their number to be wrong.

I told him we wanted to return the service warranty and lojack system and get a refund, because we did not want to buy the packages. We bought because they provided us wrong number and misled us in making decision. He said we could return the service warranty but not the lojack system because it was permanently installed on the vehicle. We then started to discuss resolutions. During the discussion, there was something that concerned us.

1. He admitted the mistake but never apologize. He only said, everyone makes mistakes.
2. He did not want to lose money in the deal. He was concerning the cost of the packages. All resolutions he offered were from a business point of view.
3. He kept saying he was trying to help us. In fact, he was doing that because he made a mistake and caused us to spend more money.

After a long discussion, he offered us a credit of $395 and lower the interest rate to 3.54%. The payment is now $756 per month and $27211 total. We are still paying a total of $1219 more (comparing to $722 per month and $25992 total) for the two unwanted packages. I rejected the offer, and I insisted refund for both packages. I emphasized the problem was not only a difference in payments, but also a deceptive trade practice. We started to argue. I told him if he refused my request, I would have no option but to file a lawsuit. He got anger and yelled at me over the phone,

I am trying to help you, but I don't have to
I am tired with you, and I can hang up anytime
You have a lawyer, I have a lawyer too, I have done this before
You can take the credit, or we can have lawyers talk

I was angry too, but my wife calmed me because she thought we could not get anything from him. She said we should take the credit and look for other ways to recover the loss. I agreed and we did that.

In our conversation, he made some points that made me believe they intended to deceive the customers.

1. He said they realized the computer problem for a while. Why didn't they fix it or avoid the mistake in the calculation (Vada said she has been doing it for years)?
2. He said some customers found the mistake after they signed the contract, and he had to credit their accounts for the difference. Are they doing it to all customers that were using wrong data?
3. When talking about lawsuit, he asked me if I had any paperwork to support my claim. I said there was a worksheet, but Vada took it without giving me a copy, although I requested. He said he could destroy the worksheet and I would have no evidence.

Now, I am trying to find ways to file complaint or even lawsuit. If you have any experience or suggestion, please kindly help me. If you think Don McGill Toyota deceived you, let's work together to recover our loss and penalize them. To contact me, please contact me by using the rebuttal box below. Thank you for your attention.

Corporate Advocacy Program: The best way to manage and repair your business reputation. Hiding negative complaints is only a Band-Aid. Consumers want to see how businesses take care of business. All businesses will get complaints. How those businesses take care of those complaints is what separates good businesses from bad businesses.

AUTHOR: Stick - (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Wednesday, June 02, 2004

POSTED: Wednesday, June 02, 2004

Hey Mr or Mrs Yuk I read your Rip Off Report. Trust me this A Hole never did you any favor at all. What a RIP OFF. A
Lojack Recovery System for ($1295). God Dammm They sell the POOP here in Phoenix for about $350 to $450 Tops. A Lojack is no more than the size of a Beeper. You might say it is a hidden "BEEPER" in your car.

What a RIP for $1295!, What a RIP for $1295!, What a RIP for $1295!, What a RIP for $1295!
Talk about going DEEP!

Sounds like to me that you are a car buyer with VERY GOOD credit.

You say She offered some finance options:

1. For a loan of $24000 at an interest rate of 5.25% for 36 months, the monthly payment would be $740 (total payment is $26640)

2. She said they had a special. If we buy an Extended Service Warranty ($795) and a Lojack Recovery System ($1295), she can offer us an interest rate of 3.79% for 36 months. The loan would be $26174 ($24000 + $795 + $1295 + tax + fee), and the monthly payment would be $770 (total payment is $27732)

NO and I mean NO bank will tell a customer " If you buy a Lojack and a Extended Service Warranty that they will give you a better interest rate. This is just a F&I ploy to sucker and yes I mean sucjer you into buying a bunch of extra junk to increase the size if the F&I lady's paycheck. Trust me I feel that she was trying to RIP you OFF! trust me you could have gotten thelow interest rate with or with out OVER PRICED Lojack.

Call up a few of your local new car dealers in your area and act like you want to buy a Lojack for your car. See what they will sell it to you for. You might get pissed at your friendly Toyota dealer after a few phone calls.

Trust me you had good credit! Or she would have never offered you the low rates in the first place. I feel she was trying to SCAM YOU!

You later said in your posting the follow:

"She was talking so fast, and we could not follow her (now, I think she was trying to confuse us"

That is the PLAN of many car dealers, To keep you under their control untill they are done getting you to give them MO MONEY!

You later said she said the follow:
You can do your calculation at home
I am busy and I have to finish this
I have been doing this for years
Our numbers are accurate

Sounds like she was getting pissed because she was loosing control of you and wanted to get control of your thinking again!

Then you post:

Vada tried to rush us and make fun of us by saying things like,

Are you reading every word
This is just a standard contract
You don't need to worry about this
Come on, she (my wife) can do it by herself

That was here plan to bush you back into her control.

And as far as the below:
On May 14, 2004, my wife went to the dealership, and Vada referred her to Peter Vi, finance manager (I don't know his title). I was out of town, and I called his office while my wife was there. Peter told us that there was a problem in their computer system and caused their number to be wrong.

I think you are one of the customers that are smart and this lady thought you were going to be easy to control. She got pissed I bet because she found out that you were watching her and keeping a close eye on her numbers. Trust Me on this. Most F&I people are trained to run you through their SPEW real fast so you, the buyer will not catch their Rip OFf's and scams!

Dumb people that do not have the ability to Rip Off car buyers and make sure that the car buyer will not see the Rip Off's and SCAMS are NOT permitted to have a job in the F&I office.

Many car dealers want smart, fast and decptive people in the F&I office. That way they can Rip Off car buyers and not get cought.

Want Proof of F&I SCAMS! Go to the follong Rip Off Report. Read it real good and look at the second picture REAL GOOD!

www.badbusinessbureau.com/reports/ripoff52158.htm

I would love for you to post the so-called better deal she gave you so I could respond to that. I would not bee too fast to think that you got a better deal.

What a RIP OFF $1295 for a Lojack! You should be PISSED in a big way! I am willing to bet that Lojack only pays maybe at tops $15 to $20 each to have them made.

Come on it is no bigger then a BEEPER. Remember BEEPERS a few years ago they gave beepers out for FREE if you signed up for a years service! the only think I can say I feel is WHAT A RIP OFF! $1295!

Did your F&I lady tell you how much they will charge you to have a battery put in your Lojack when it needs one? Did she tell you how to find out when the battery in your Pager, OOPS I mean Lojack goes dead?

How does one find out when their Lojack battery goes dead,does it have a indicater light on your dash?

for $1295!, What a RIP for $1295!, What a RIP for $1295!, What a RIP for $1295!

AUTHOR: Yuk - (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Tuesday, June 01, 2004

POSTED: Tuesday, June 01, 2004

Two weeks later, Shelli Cole (finance director at Don McGill Toyota) called and was willing to resolve our concerns. We met with her at her office. She was nice and polite. She asked us what happened, and we told her the details. She said Vada Cacamo made an honor mistake, but the way Peter Vi handled it was wrong. She apologized and emphasized they never intend to deceive customers.

She offered us two options:

1. Return the car. She will issue a full refund to us.

2. Keep the car and work out a new deal. She will rescind the original contract and prepare a new one as if it is a new sale.

We were surprise to hear that. We chose option 2 and offered her a price. She accepted, and we signed a new contract. We were satisfied with the deal. Everything was resolved. During the whole process, Shelli was sincere and professional.

Corporate Advocacy Program: The best way to manage and repair your business reputation. Hiding negative complaints is only a Band-Aid. Consumers want to see how businesses take care of business. All businesses will get complaints. How those businesses take care of those complaints is what separates good businesses from bad businesses.